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Microsoft to Release Fable III in Downloadable Episodes

Interested in Fable III but not quite sure you want to throw down $60 for a return ticket to Albion? Lionhead Studios head Peter Molyneux has a solution for you: try an episode or two of the game first.

In an interview with GamesIndustry, Molyneux described traditional game demos as "a horrible concept" and said Lionhead and publisher Microsoft plan to publish downloadable Fable III episodes alongside the full retail release.

"We break it down in chapters," Molyneux told GI. "We give away the first chapter entirely free, the first hour. When you reach a certain point in the game it says, 'Thank you for playing the pilot of Fable III. Do you want to spend an extra 2 to 5 or whatever dollars to buy the next episode, or buy the whole lot?' Press 'Yes' and you will immediately continue playing."

Microsoft attempted a similar strategy with Fable II, but that game's first downloadable episode was published nearly a year after the full title's release. Still, the Fable II first episode sold an estimated 1.6 million copies and evidently got Microsoft and Lionhead thinking big.

Molyneux said he hopes the episodic strategy, what he referred to as "chapters," will help Fable III hit its sales target of 5 million copies and an estimated $150 million in revenue.

Fable III is set to launch for the Xbox 360 and Windows PCs on October 26.

Sharkey says: I don't necessarily agree with Molyneux's comments that demos are a horrible concept. I know demos have played a big part in my buying decisions, and I'm thankful to have the opportunity to try before I buy. That said, I do like the idea of episodes, and based on the price, I think it's an even better way for gamers to really get into a game before buying.